


Guitar Hero

by OraclesReverie



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Attempt at Humor, Black Eagles are mentioned, Gen, Might become a series of ficlets, The two smallest ones fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:28:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26395672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OraclesReverie/pseuds/OraclesReverie
Summary: A small “misunderstanding” at Loog & The Blue Lions’ practice space leads to someone underestimating guitarist Felix Fraldarius.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	Guitar Hero

“You’ve got to be kidding me. _Another_ cover song?” Ingrid scoffed and passed the proposed practice list back to Dimitri, who took it with not so much as a second glance. He was the one who had compiled it, after all. The surrounding car swayed to the left as it pulled into the parking lot, and she winced at the sound of _something_ in the back rolling around. “You know that we’re never going to surpass the rest of the local scene if we never do anything original.”

The drummer said nothing as he pocketed the scratch paper. He instead opted to growl as a response, which may have been because the thing rolling around behind them was one of his snare drums he forgot to secure. Sylvain mercifully put the van in park and waited for them to exit before adding, “We know that. But Annette still needs more time on the lyrics. Turns out she has more experience with pop than she does folk metal. Big surprise, right?”

“Hey,” Felix butted in, slamming the car door a little harder than he probably should have, “Watch it. She’s not here to defend herself.” With an equally aggressive tug, he pulled the van’s trunk door open and retrieved Sylvain’s guitar, offering it to him before taking his own, ignoring the loose drums scattered on the floor. “Like _you’d_ have a problem playing pop music.”

“I wouldn’t!” Sylvain flashed a megawatt smile, “But that wouldn’t jive with the ‘Brooding, Troubled Souls’ image we’re going for.”

Ingrid crossed her arms, “Maybe we _should_ transition to pop. That way you’ll give me a song that I can actually play on. Or are we going to shoehorn a violin solo into the 15th Black Sabbath cover?”

“What’s wrong with Black Sabbath?” Dimitri finally spoke, having just finished pulling his long blond hair into a short ponytail.

“Nothing. I just think I remember Ashe saying that he’d rather cover something with more late 00’s screaming.”

“He _has_ been practicing that.” Felix agreed, ever the advocate of practice, and waited for Sylvain to unlock the door to the rental space with his back to the wall, arms crossed. “Will you hurry up?”

“Hold on Felix, you can wait to start strumming for two more minutes.” He fumbled with the keys under the scrutiny.

“Not if you take 2 minutes to open the damn door.”

It was then that Loog & the Blue Lions entered to the sight of rival band, Golden Deer, unpacking their equipment. While not entirely implausible to have run into the band they were splitting the rent with, the other band seemed just as surprised. Their bassist, Claude, even made a show of pulling up his watch and looking at the time.

Dimitri had a less tactful approach, “What the hell are _you_ doing here?”

Ignatz, the vocalist, gave a weary glance to their own drummer while he adjusted his thick glasses. Leonie, in turn, raised an eyebrow at the newcomers. She shifted forward on the seat, caramel brown braid falling over her shoulder, “Could ask the same about all of you. You didn’t schedule over-top of us did you?”

“I think they should get out,” the angriest (and tiniest) member of Golden Deer quipped, “We _clearly_ were the ones scheduled for today on the Google calendar.” Lysithea continued to set up her electric guitar, shooting back a pointed glare, “Ever heard ‘Fear the Deer’?”

Felix rolled his eyes. ‘Fear the Deer’ wasn’t exactly the most threatening of slogans, especially when their sound evoked mid-90s grunge instead of metal, flares of psychedelic rock even creeping in on a few of their popular songs, thanks to Claude’s mysterious skill on a sitar.

“Hello Lions!” The sitar-player himself finally spoke up, stepping over wires to probably mitigate the situation, “Looks like we had a little misunderstanding. What’re you doing here?”

Dimitri and Felix were too busy grumbling to do much to respond. Sylvain shared a look with Ingrid, who shrugged, so he stepped forward. Leave it to the lead guitarist to do the negotiations. “It seems that _our_ time on the calendar said Today, the 17th, 2pm, was Loog practice time. Any idea what’s going on here?”

Claude raised a hand to his chin, stroking the tail end of his side-burns. “Hmm. That’s _very_ strange. Calendar said Deer for today too.”

“Does it? Sounds deliberate to me.” Felix asked and shoved his way past Claude. Ignoring Lysithea’s wide eyed stare, he clicked the clasps on his guitar case open loudly. Sylvain sighed. He was going to set up anyway, wasn’t he?

He did have a point though. Even though they had agreed to share the space to cut down on expenses for more live shows, Sylvain had a feeling that there was more behind Claude’s proposal than simple good faith. Perhaps a way to scope them out easier, he pondered. To keep tabs on them. As if one band wasn’t kicking both of their asses enough already.

The Black Eagle Strike Force had taken the local indie music scene by storm. Their debut death metal album “ _Crimson Flower_ ” had sold out within 30 minutes at their latest concert. There was no denying it; The Lions and Deer had a common rival, one that warranted a temporary truce to dethrone.

That still didn’t mean it wasn’t obvious that Claude was up to something. The schemer frowned, but his eyes were twinkling with amusement. “It’s true. That’s what the calendar said. Wasn’t that what we agreed on? Every odd day is a possible practice day for Golden Deer, every even day was for you?”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Ingrid spoke this time, standing in between Dimitri and the source of their ails. “I don’t remember that part of the agreement.”

Leonie had started drumming a rhythm on the hi-hats and bass drum. Ignatz sat on an unused folding chair and began to doodle on a notepad while clenching his jaw.

The Golden Deer’s other guitarist, Lorenz, sat up in his seat, pulled away from his iced tea, and scanned the group, “Where is the rest of your band? Rather rude to demand using the space when you don’t even have everyone here.”

Sylvain scratched his stubble, “Mercedes is probably stuck in traffic picking up Ashe and Dedue. What about you folks? Where’s that lady with the pink hair? Your other vocalist?”

Lorenz looked like he’d been struck by lightning. Claude audibly sighed, “Hilda’s… probably not going to come—“

“Then if you aren’t going to have your whole band here, leave,” Felix said, punctuated by jacking loudly into a free amp. Lysithea seethed.

“Hey, asshole, lay the fuck off will you? We were here first, so suck it up and go. Practice tomorrow.”

Felix ignored her, shouldering his guitar and giving his band a look like ‘Aren’t you going to join me?’. And it quickly became apparent that Lysithea _hated_ being ignored.

She gave him a shove, causing him to lose his footing and nearly trip over the amp behind him.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Felix finally turned his attention to her. Lysithea stood on her toes to get in his face.

“What’s wrong with _you_? I’ve never seen you smile on stage, you’re always frowning. Are you even having fun?”

Leonie added a snare to her beat.

“Having fun has nothing to do with it.”

An incredulous laugh, “Ha! I guess I shouldn’t expect much from a _super_ _serious_ metal band with a _super boring_ _rhythm_ guitarist. Why do you need to practice so bad? Can’t remember the 4 chords in your songs?”

“You realize that’s an insult to _every_ rhythm guitarist, not just him, right?” Lorenz looked wounded. She rolled her eyes. Leonie hit a cymbal.

“This is insane. Let’s just go Felix.” Ingrid reached for Felix’s jean vest but was shrugged off.

“No. I don’t think so.” Felix’s anger was cold, his tone pointed and gaze menacing, never leaving Lysithea. She glared at him back, not once backing down. He continued, “You think I’m a shitty guitarist?”

Sylvain whistled. Dimitri had gone silent, no more rumblings from him.

Lysithea raised herself up again to deliver her blow. “I do. I don’t think you’re worth shit. I _know_ I’m better than you.”

Ingrid slumped her shoulders at the same time as Claude rubbed his forehead. _This_ certainly wasn’t good for their so-called truce.

Felix’s nostrils flared. “Sylvain?”

“Huh?” Blinks of alarm.

“Do you know the rhythm guitar part to that cover song we’ve been practicing?”

“Sure, but—“

“Get plugged in. You’re backing me.”

Lysithea looked incredibly amused by this. She gripped her guitar and plucked out 20 seconds of a fast-paced riff, casually sticking her tongue out as the notes strained and the sound pounded in the room. By the time she was finished taunting him, Sylvain was ready to rock.

And giving him a nod, he and Sylvain both began jamming with distorted guitars. It almost seemed as if there wouldn’t be any vocals before Sylvain belted out,

_“Look in my eyes, what do you see? / The Cult of Personality”_

Leonie laughed out loud, and much to Lysithea’s chagrin, removed herself from her drum set to allow Dimitri access. It wasn’t long before he jumped in with the drum beat, spurring the two guitar players on.

As they got to the first taste of the solo he would be doing in between Sylvain’s verses, Felix didn’t seem to be having any trouble at all. Despite the sweat starting to bead on his forehead, he didn’t show an ounce of strain.

“Wish Dedue could be here. This would be so much better with a bass—“

No sooner had Ingrid spoken had Claude joined in with the bass line, winking at her shock. Lorenz and Lysithea looked shocked as well. Ignatz and Leonie were too stunned by the impromptu performance to note the heel turn.

“Did you _plan_ this?” Lorenz shouted over the lilting buzz.

“What?” Claude smirked, wildcard that he was, “I love Living Colour. This song’s great.”

And it was just in time. The bass riff only seemed to elevate Felix’s solo, the lithe man leaning his body with his guitar as he jumped up and down the fretboard, eyes closed in euphoria. Even if he wasn’t smiling, it was clear he was feeling the music vibrating through him. Fingers pressed and pulled on strings with only the precision that hours and days of practice could yield.

Dimitri sped up. Felix sped up. The level of skill that Felix was displaying had knocked Lysithea off of her feet. At the end of his solo he let out a triumphant yell, meshing with Sylvain’s continued vocals. Ingrid smiled in place of him, happy that he was finally letting himself show off.

After all, starting a band _had_ been his idea to begin with. Dimitri was the glue that held it all together, but they all knew that they wouldn’t be anything if it hadn’t been for a pre-teen Felix purchasing an electric guitar.

At the songs end, even quiet Ignatz gave it a round of applause. Lysithea remained still, contemplative, but clearly avoided looking at Felix as he paused for breath with his band members.

“Sylvain!” Dimitri commanded, pointing a borrowed drumstick towards him, “You’re doing vocals for this one now!”

“But, what about Ashe—”

“Can’t seem to sell it enough,” he huffed, “Not that his voice is ill-fitting. But I prefer the bombastic energy you brought. And Felix,” Dimitri turned to look at the sweaty man.

No words exchanged. Just a nod. And a small, impossible grin.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this drabblet! I may add more to this AU as I think of scenes, I have put a lot of thought into all the student’s roles in and around the bands.
> 
> Shout out to my favorite guitar solo to exist: the one in Living Colour’s ‘Cult of Personality’. I highly recommend you check it out, nothing comes close as much as I wish I could convey sound through text.
> 
> Check me out on @oraclereveries on twitter if you’re over 18 & interested in keeping up to date with my work or just want to scream in my direction.


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